The influence of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT) on cutaneous blood flow in healthy volunteers

Issue title: Selected post-conference papers of the 39th Conference of the German Society for Clinical Microcirculation and Hemorheology, 6-7 November 2020, Hannover, Germany

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Biermann, Niklas^a | Sommerauer, Laura^a | Diesch, Sophia^a | Koch, Christoph^a | Jung, Friedrich^b | Kehrer, Andreas^a | Prantl, Lukas^{a; *} | Taeger, Christian D.^{a; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Plastic, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany | [b] Institute of Biotechnology, Molecular Cell Biology, Brandenburg University of Technology, Senftenberg, Germany

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding authors: Christian Taeger, M.D., Dept. of Plastic, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, and Prof. Dr. Lukas Prantl, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany. Tel.: +49 941 944 6763; Fax: +49 941944 6948; E-mail: christian.taeger@ukr.de.; URL: http://www.ukr.de.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:The biophysical interaction induced by low energy pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT) on the capillary microcirculation is not well understood. Several studies indicate a significant effect of PEMFT in patients with chronic medical conditions. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of PEMFT on skin microcirculation in healthy volunteers. METHODS:15 healthy participants were included. Nine PEMF treatments were applied over three weeks in an 48-hour interval. The PEMFT system (BEMER) was placed beneath one of the participants’ leg with the contralateral side serving as a control. A forty-minute application period was preceded by a 10-minute resting phase. Measuring was done using two Laser Doppler probes (LEA) placed on each anterior lateral thigh. RESULTS:All outcome parameters including flow, mixed venous oxygen saturation and relative venous hemoglobin showed a significant increase during the experiment when compared to the baseline values of the resting phase in both groups (p < 0.01). Comparing both groups, the measurement values during the experiment did not differ (p > 0.05) except for higher flow values in the control group (P = 0.03). Over time, baseline values of both groups showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION:We found a significant increase of all measurement parameters during the study compared to the baseline values with no difference between the PEMF and control group.

Keywords: Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT), microcirculation, cutaneous blood flow

DOI: 10.3233/CH-209224

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 495-501, 2020